Highway signal for railroad crossings



May 8, 1923.

J. M. MCGHEE HIGHWAY SIGNAL FOR RAILROAD CROSSINGS Filed Aug. 1Q, 1921 2 sheets-sheet 1 Strung@ May 8, 1923.` Y 1,454,753, J. M. MCGHEE HIGHWAY SIGNAL FOR RAILROAD ROSSINGS Filed Aug. 1g, '1921 2 sheets-sheet and more vehicle Jnssn n. manna, or xNox'vrLLE, rENNnssnE. mamar SIGNAL Foa nainnoan caossmas.

application med August 19,1921. serai No. 493,609.

To all wkomztmay comem:

Be it known that JESSE M. MGGHE, a citizen of ^the United States, residi at Knoxville, in the county of Knoxand tate of Tennessee, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Highway Signals for Railroad Crossings, of which the following is a specification.

he present invention relates to signals, particularly to that type adapted for use at intersections between public highwa s and railroad tracks.

object of the invention is to provide an improved signal which may be automatically set by an oncoming train to indicate to vehicles, in particular, traversing the highway that the train is approaching the intersection so as to give suitable warnin to the operators of motor vehicles and t e like such that they may have ample time to bring their vehicles to a stop at a safe distance from the intersection.

Another object of this invention is to pro vide a signal of this general character which may impart not only a visual and audible indication that a'train isapproaching the intersection, but also give indication by 'actual contact so that Ashould the operator fail to observe the visual signal and fail to hear the audible signal, the contact signal will give a, decided warning which cannot he well ignored. l

More specifically, the invention aims at the provision of 'a signal which when set throws a warning ray of light toward approaching vehicles on the highway, sounds a gong, or other audible device which may be heard at a considerable distance, and also suspends directly ovei` the highway and at a required height a number of pendants which are arranged to contact with the to give warning by their touching rubbin and actualcontact that the signal is set ihr indicating danger.

The invention has for, a further object the provision of a relatively simple structure which may be inexpensively employed and which may be maintained in working condition at low cost, and which is durable and accessible for repairs and adjustments, and a signal which will not obstruct the highway nor will beso located as liable to ingury incident to tracon the highway.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a si al of this type which is so constructed t at the parts thereof are housedand protected against injury by tampering with the device. or b persons who are inclined to mischievous y distort the various exposed parts suchas is'com- 60 e above, and various other objects and advantages of this invention described in, and in part be vunderstood from the following detailed description ofA the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated drawings wherein: Fig.1 is a side elevation of a signal constructed according to the present invention shown in full lines in set position and erected upon a highway, ing the position of the signal when in nonindicating position; F 1g. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sec tional view taken through an intermediate will in part be portion of the signal, showing the frame au or supporting the visual and audible indieating devices;

Fig. 3 is a further enlarged sectional view taken longitudinally through the outer end of the signalcarin and its adjacent parts;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing one form of operating means which'ma be employed for actuating the signal; ang,- Fig. 5l is a fragmentary section through the upper end of the signal post, showing an operative connection eating erin.

Referring ,to the drawings,

a public highway of for swinging the indil0 vdesignates lany suitable construction and which is shown in Fig. l1 as inter- 95 sectin a railroad track 1l. Erected at one side o the highway 10 is a post 12 of preferably hollow construction and which may .be rotected. at its lower end by a guard or depector- 13 suitably about and lieiaga-inst the base of the post 10 at its inner and adjacent sides facing the highway 10. ,The guard 13 is employed for wording od vehicles and other' objects which, b strike or distort the base Vo" the post 12.

rlhe post 12 rises to a suitable height, and upon the upper end portion of the post is mounted a transverse shaft 14 which, when the post 12, is provided with Itoothed member 15 adapted to mesh with a vertical reciprocal rack bar 16, the latter in they accompanying 7u the dotted lines showte constructed to extend y mismanagement, may tend to 'a pinion or 110 carried in the top extending downwardly through the post as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 to a suitable operating mechanism. lThe lower end of the bar 16 is also 'of rackvform and meshes with a pinion 17 on a shaft 18 mounted transversely in a housing 19 carrying a relatively large worm gear 20 which meshes with a worm 21 on the shaft of a motor 22- The `motorV 22 may be an electric motor and is adapted to be driven in any well known manner for raising and lowering the rack bar 16 and thus reci rocating the shaft 14 o the post 12. A

The shaft projects through one side of the post'12 and carries thereon a signal arm 23 which is adapted in one position to extend horizontally. overthey highway. 10 and is of such length as to vproject to an appreciable extent across the highway and substantially the entire width of vthe same. This signal may comprise a hollow pipe and it may be l25 formed in one side of a cap 26 which 1s' reinforced by a brace w1re24 which is secured to the' inner end of the arm 23 near its shaft 14 at one end and which at the other end maybe threaded through an aperture threaded or otherwise suitably maintained upon the outer end of the arm 23.

The arm 23 carries va plurality-.of pend ants-27 which are preferably of a flexible softnature adapted to strike the upper portion of vehicles which attempt' to passbeneath the arm 23 when lowered .inA order to give contact indication that the signal is set for danger. These pendants 27 m-ay be in the nature of cords or ropes and may have wire`v cores to prevent lcutting of the pendants and to reinforce the same against tearing andbreakage. Each pendant 27 may be supported in a screw Aeye y 28 detachably threaded yinto the under side e of the arm 23 to admit replacement of the f pendants when necessary and to facilitate assemblage of theparts of .the signal.

The arm 23 is provided, at a point intermediate its inner and outer ends, with a transverse supporting frame 29 of substantially triangular shape and which may be constructed of tubing. The apex of the frame 29 is inverted and is formed of a suitable coupling member 3() having lateral branches for receiving the upwardly diverging sidesof the frame and which is also threaded intermediately upon the arm 23 to facilitate assemblage of the` parts. The frame 29I is constructed of opposite end members as shown in Fig. 2 and each of which may comprise a single length of tubing running upon itself at the desired angle and having inset portions or steps 31 4at its corners for accommodating and vprotecting reflectors or lamp casings 32 which open outwardly in opposite 'directions from the ends of the frame. The upper part of arm 23, as best shown in Fig-3,

fan audible signal.

lwith a union couplin sitely from the their-ame is secured together byan upper coupling 33 which is Athreaded to upper ends of the end sections of the frame and which also supports a lamp Y casing 34 which rises above the frame and 'which has in opposite sides transparent proj tors 32 are also provided at their outer ends with projecting red lenses 36 adapted Ato also project red light in opposite directions from the ends of the frame'. The lamp casings 32 and 34 each have a luminous element 37 therein Iand prise an electriclamp adapted to be energized by` electric current conducted through various parts of the signal in a well known manner. It mayof course be preferable to independently connect allel in the electric circuit so that should one which preferably co1n.v

the lamps 37 in parlamp fail to illuminate, another lamp may f remain illuminated without interruption.

The frame 29 is braced intermediately by may be threade lower coupling 30 and upper which as shown serves asa central post for a bell ord-gong 39 Ofthe usual type, and; which is adapted to be energized for giving The arrangement of the parts within and upon the frame 29 is such at opposite ends intothe coupling 33 and that the frame serves as a protector for the parts as well as a compact support.. The

an upright com vression member 38 which parts are readily accessible particularly as the compression bracet38 may be provided 40 in its length facilitating the remova voi the audible signal 39o'r adjustment and repair. rihe coupling 33 is suitably apertured, transversely, for the reception of the brace wire 24 therethroughfor supporting the same and taking up tension of thev brace wire to brace the opposite ends of the arm 23 uponthe intermediate portion thereof.

The signal arm other parts arepreferably counter-balanced by #semaphore arm to the arm23 at itsjuncture with the shaft 14 and which extends inwardly and oppoarm 23 'at a suitable Vangle for indicating, as shown in Fig. 1, clear and danger signals incident to the rise and fall of the arm 23.

The signal of this-invention is adapted to be used in conjunction with any well known electrical device for operation upon the approach and receding of rolling stock upon the track 11.

When the .train apf 23-with its frame 29V and 41, which is connected f proaches the crossing'the motor 22 is actuated to turn in such directionias to swing the arm 23 downinto a hirzontal position when the visual indicating members 32 and 34 are energized to project red light rays'in able point withl res ect to the intersection'` as it may be place upon'the left or right hand sides of the roadway and it may .be `spaced at any suitable distance from the intersection to give ample' warning to those traversing the higllway. The device is so constructed that t e usual semaphore operating mechanisms now employed by railroads may be used for actuatinlgthe signal, and ifdesired, even mechanica be resorted to if found practical.

It is of course understoodl that Avarious changes and modifications may be made in the -details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of the invention without Vdeparting from the spirit thereof, such changes and modiiications being restricted only by the scope 30` of the following claims.

at is claimed is:`

1. A highway signal forv railway intersections comprising a support, a movable member carried by the supportand adaptedto be swung into-position across the highway, a visual signal audible signal carried by the member, and a contact signal carried by the member for warning vehicles traversin the highway when-the member is set to in icate danger.

2. A highway signal for railway intersections comprising a support, an arm pivoted on the support, means for raising and lowering the arm into clear and danger` indicating sitions, a visual signal on the arm, an audi le signal on the arm, and a plurality of pendants mounted on the arm adapted to be suspended over the railway when the arm is lowered for contact with ing the railway.

3. A highway 'signal for railway intersections comprising a support, an arm pivoted on the support, means for lowering the arm into position across the highway in spaced relation to permit vehicles to pass beneath the arm, visual signaling means carried by vehicles traversthe arm for indicating to vehicles the lowering of the arm into a danger indicating position, and pendants'carried by the arm for contact with a vehicle passing therebeneath.

means may carried by the member, en

way at a point above the same, signaling means carried by the arm for indicating the position of danger ofthe arm, and means sus ended from the arm for contact with ve- .hicls passing beneath the arm.'

5. In a highway signal for railroad intersections, a support, an arm pivoted upon the support and adapted to be 'swung down across thehighway to indicate danger, a transverse frame mounted on the arm, visual signals carried on the opposite ends of the frame adapted to project lengthwise of the highway in opposite directions, an audible signal mounted in the frame, andsuspended means carried upon the arm adapted to contact with vehicles when the visual and audible signals are ignored.

6. A highway signal for railroad intersections comprising a support, an arm pivoted to the support and adapted to .be swung down into danger indicating position across the highway, a transverse frame mounted upon the arm, a visual signal on each end o the frame projecting in the direction of the highway, an audible signal mounted within the frame for sounding an alarm when the arm is lowered, and a plurality-of pendants spaced apart along the arm throughout substantially the length thereof for contactwith vehicles ignoring the visual and audible signals intersecarm pivotai'm downwardly into posimounted upon the, support, means -for'4 and passing beneath the tion across a highway to indicate danger, a f

counter-balancing semaphore connected to the arm adapted to rise and fall during the swinging of the arm to .indicate clear and danger'signals signaling means carried by the arm to indicate at a distance when the arm is inV lowered position, and contact signaling means carried by the arm adapted to engage vehicles passing therebeneath when said distance signaling means is ignored.

8. A highway signal for railway inter- I sections comprisin a post, an elongated arm pivotally mounte on the post, means for swin g said arms into raised and lowered positions upon the post, a transverse frame mounted u on the intermediate portion of the arm and saidarm upwardly through said frame for bracing the arm and frame, upon the outer ends of the frame for rojecting visual signals in opposite directions in the highway, a compression brace arranged in the frame for supporting said wire and frame, an audible signal mounted upon said compression brace, and a plurality of pendants spaced in said arm adapted to be suspended over the railway when said arm is lowered. i

projecting upwardly therefrom, .a brace wire extending from4 the ends of lamps mounted- 9. A highway `signal for railroad intersections com rising a. post, a shaft mounted transverse y in the upper end of Ithe post, means for reciprocating the shaft, an arm 5 connected to the shaft and projecting from the post and adapted to be raised and lowered upon operation of the shaft, al triangular frame mounted in inverted position upon the intermediate portion of said arm,

10 a. brace Wire' connected to the ends of the arm and extending through theupper portion of seid 'ame to brace ltlm ame and the arm, a plurality of signellights mountedlon the frame for indicating position of "a, gong mounted in Ythe frame for soun g1 danger at opposite sides of the roadwe e. danger signal, and a. plurality o pendants spaced along seid arm adapted for contant With vehicles passing beneath the arms when lowered.

'ln testimony Wliereof l ex my signature.

Y SSE M. MGGHEE. 

